The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-08-11
The Roanoke Convention.


one has yet been able to explain. Mr.. Bar
bours attempt to Justify its calling was
lamentably weak in the light of events i'm
mediately following the delivery of his
address. His assurance that the party
representatives had been summoned to.
discuss The situation, compare views and
present issues upon which to go be-
fore the people, sounded well enough, but
when the programme thus announced
was cut short at the very outset, it
looked very much as if there had been
want of sincerity in its preparation. In
stead Of discussion being invited, the pur-
pose to prevent discussion was plain. The
adoption Of the motion to refer all resolu-
tions without debate, was simply the ap-
plication of the gag law, and designed to
prevent anything like comparison of
views. The delaying of the platform I'M
til the last moment, and then rushing it
through without consideration, was but
well executed plan to stitle the voice of the
representatives and take from them the
power delegated by their constituencies.
1t may be claimed that the lack Of opposi-
tion evidenced oneness of sentiment. That
is not true. We venture to say that not
one rejecting delegate in ten could eonsci-
entiously endorse the platform adopted as
his party creed. He simply submitted to
| it to prevent row. The bosses carried
everything with a high hand. No meas
| ure of theirs was open to discussion. All
dissent was choked off before it could find
utterance.
For example: It's needless to say that
the gentleman who proposed the Wythe
resolutions, could not subscribe to that pro-
vision of the platform in reference to the
| debt. No opportunity whatever was given
him to present his side of the case, or to
| test the real sentiment of the Convention
on matter of such vital Importance. The
graduates of Prof. Massey's Normal were
determined that the teachings of their
principal should not be questioned. Only
the old stagers were allowed to open their
mouths, and they simply recited the lesson
prepared for them beforehand. With as
fine looking body of men as generally
meet together for public purpose, there
was not courage enough to demand the
right even to be heard. Talk of bossism !
there has never been such an'exhibition of
absolute submission to the will of one man
in Virginia as that at Roanoke on the 4th
of this month.
I of Cy,nt mt on ri nf 6nC0nnf
dear democrats. We are mere parvenues
in the political world, and we cannot hide
or disguise the fact. We are led to this
line of admonitien because the democrats
of Amherst county declare that there was
reorganization of the democratic party of
Virginia in 1876, when there are no hlStOr-
ical facts better established than that the
democrats, wings. liberal republicans. &C.,
who coalesced in 1869 20 took the Lame of
conservatives, and were known as the con-
sentative party Of Virginia until 1880,
when in the state convention of that year,
on resolution offered by Hon. John w.
Daniel, the present democratic name was
first assumed and full utilization with the
national democracy first professed.
The democratic party of Virginia may
easily come to grief if it forgets its origin
) and ignores the varied elements which en-
|! ter into the composition. Even the demo-
GRAFT of 1880 is not altogether the democrat
Of 1860 land it goes without saying that the
wings and liberal republicans who became
conservatives in 1870 may not work kindly
in the traces in 1SS7'SS, if we return to
the old ruts worn under King Cotton and
his slaves of both coors.-Lnder-A Appeal.
We publish the above as showing the
drift of the thought of our able cotempo
rary. If the people of Virginia would
vote their honest sentiments on the live
practical questions of the day, the princi
pies of the Republican party.wouid be en-
dorsed by an overwhelming majority Of
the white voters. to say nothing of the
colore6 vote. 1t is the want of mora
courage and the dominancy of an indefen-
sibe and ineXcusable prejudice which pre-
vent them doing SO. But the time is moi
far distant when such will not be the case
In the counties where the whites have the
majority, we believe more than one half
of them vote the Republican ticket. We
have not the data before US to be positive
about this. The hope of the Democrats il
to make up for their losses in the white
counties by questionable methods in The
counties that have large numbers of col
ored voters, for which the Anderson Nc
Cormick bill is admirably adapted, and fol
which it was designed. Virginia will new
er prosper as she should, until there is {
manly expression at the ballot-boX of the
honest convictions of the people, and ma
chine politics and politicians made to know
that the people are supreme under oul
system of government. We cannot under
stand why the hader-Appeal, with its view
of public questions, and its knowledge Of
the power of the caucus in Congress, does
not cut loose from the Democratic party
and give its influence to the agencies
which would give practical enforcement
to its ideas. 1t favors protection to home
interests and the advancement of the cause
of popular education through national aid
yet it supports the party, which in Con
gress, has heretofore and will hereaftel
oppose both of these policies.
George William Curtis, the spokesman
and organ Of the Mugwumps and civil
service refOrmerS, informs the public
through formal address before the Civil
Service Reform League, that Cleveland s
is not reform administration. With Mr.
Curtis conception of the character and
motives of the very hungry Democrats,
as expressed in his speech in the Chicago
Convention of 1884, it is strange that he
I I II.